Dozens dead in Turkish cargo-jet crash in Kyrgyzstan

A Turkish Airlines cargo plane was flying from Hong Kong before it crashed in central Asia, with some early reports stating that bad weather contributed to the accident.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab

16 January, 2017

The Turkish airlines plane crashed in a residential area close to Manas airport [Twitter/Conradoaviacion]

At least 32 people have died after a Turkish Airlines cargo plane crashed in Kyrgyzstan, officials said early on Monday.

The Boeing 747 crashed into homes in a residential area close to Manas airport located 25km north of the capital Bishkek, said the country's healthcare ministry.

The majority of the dead were from the village of Dacha-Suu where the plane crashed at around 7.30 am local time (1.30am GMT), a spokesman for the country's emergency services ministry told AFP.

Around 15 houses have been damaged by the crash.

The cargo plane was flying from Hong Kong International Airport. Russian news agency Sputnik and the Chinese Xinhua news agency, citing government sources, said that the aircraft crashed during landing.

At the time weather in Bishkek was minus 11 degrees celsius and foggy, with some reports stating that bad weather contributed to the accident.

The Boeing 747 cargo plane took off from Hong Kong under the flight code of Turkish Airlines TK6491, according to the Airport Authorities quoted in the South China Morning Post, and was 14 years old.